The Other Fire Mage
by Leoma Beorht
Summary: A story centered around a new character, Naomi, a fire mage with unnaturally powerful magic and Laxus Dreyar, who forms a special connection with the young wizard. Rated M for language.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Natsu bent over his breakfast at the Fairy Tail guild hall, gobbling down his food with inhuman speed, as usual. He paid attention to nothing but his meal, until a few words came floating into his consciousness, making his ears prick up with curiosity.

"Rumor…fire…slayer."

He whipped his head around, mouth still full.

"Huh? Another dragon slayer? Where?"

A small group at the end of the bar composed of Gray, Erza, Lucy, and Mirajane looked at him incredulously. Gray scoffed.

"Weren't you listening, greedyguts? Maybe if you got your face out of your plate, you'd be able to keep up!"

Before Natsu could retort, Lucy stepped quickly between them and explained, trying to prevent a fight too early in the day.

"Erza just returned from a solo job near the woods surrounding Magnolia. She heard a rumor from her client that there might be a fire wizard of some kind running around burning and causing trouble. That's all."

"Who said slayer?" Natsu asked, whining a little and glaring at Gray.

"I did," said Erza. "I went to have a look and see if I could track down the perpetrator, but the trail went cold. However, I did find one of the burn sites. It was near a small farm but, strangely enough, barely missed any of the property. What surprised me most was the extent of the damage. I doubt it was any ordinary fire wizard who did it. I was suggesting that it could be another dragon slayer."

"We do know of another fire dragon, Atlas Flame. Natsu, do you know if there were any other fire dragons who had human children?" asked Mirajane.

"I don't think so. Igneel never said anything. But who knows? Maybe we can go find this guy and ask him!" Natsu replied excitedly.

"I came back to ask if you wanted to help me find him and find out why he's randomly burning sections of the forest." said Erza.

"Awesome, I'm in!" shouted Natsu. "Let's go!"

"I might as well go, make sure hot stuff doesn't end up helping this rogue wizard burn down the forest instead of stopping him." drawled Gray.

"Shut up, Snow Queen! I could take him and you!"

"You wish, flamebrain!"

Bickering, the two rivals and Erza walked across the guild and out the front door. Lucy looked after them fondly.

"Aren't you going with them, Lucy?" She glanced up to see Mirajane smiling at her.

"I don't think so. They don't really need me for this kind of job. It's not even a paying job. It has nothing to do with me, and I'd only get in the way."

A pink head suddenly popped back into the doorway. "You coming, Happy?"

"No. I promised Wendy I'd help her and Carla around the guild today." said the blue Exceed, blushing slightly.

"Okay, little buddy." There was a pause. "Lucy? Whatcha doin'? Get your big butt over here, we've got work to do!"

Lucy looked up. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" She yelled, running out after a grinning Natsu. Mira chuckled and turned back to serve the other guildmates.

~.~

About an hour later, Makarov came downstairs with his grandson, laughing. Laxus had a small smile on his face, a rare but pleasant sight. The guild master of Fairy Tail plopped down on a bar stool and sighed contentedly.

"Now where's Natsu? I had something to talk to him about." Growled the old man. Mira handed him his favorite mug of beer as she replied.

"Erza heard a rumor about a fire mage running amok in the forest, and Natsu and the others went to investigate."

Makarov tensed suddenly, his smile disappearing.

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to him about. I was afraid of this."

"What's wrong, Master?"

"The last time I ran into Porlyusica, she told me the same thing, and it is no rumor. Apparently, this wizard is extremely powerful, but has little to no control of their power. Beyond that she wouldn't say, but she warned me to not let any of the children near them. I should've found Natsu sooner."

"Don't worry. Natsu has always pulled through, and everyone has been working so hard, they're stronger than ever. I'm sure they'll be fine." Reassured Mira.

"You're right, of course. I just hope they don't hurt themselves too badly. They're far too reckless for their own good." But he chuckled as he took a gulp of ale.

Laxus, standing beside his grandfather, stared hard at the door, then turned and sat down.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Ugh! How much farther?" groaned Lucy, dragging her feet as she walked a good ten paces behind the group.

"We're close. The burn site I found was the most recent, so the scent might be fresh enough for Natsu to pick up." Called Erza over her shoulder.

After another ten minutes of listening to Lucy's complaining, Team Natsu rounded a corner and found themselves staring at what looked like a black hole.

"Mavis." Breathed Natsu, half excitedly.

About a mile of forest was gone. There was nothing but black, as though something had scooped all the life out of the area and left it crumbling and silent. Everyone had stopped in their tracks, and after a few heartbeats Erza spoke quietly, breaking the spell.

"Natsu?"

"Yeah. I can smell him."

"I didn't think anybody but you could cause this much damage." Said Gray, kicking at a tree stump.

"You were right, Erza. I can see the farm over there." Said Lucy, pointing. "That is strange. Why cause this much destruction out in the middle of nowhere?"

"This seems similar to Zeref's magic when I saw him on Tenrou Island." Said Natsu. "But it doesn't smell like him. I can't place it. It's smoky, but sort of delicate."

"Delicate? I didn't think that word was in your vocabulary." Snorted Gray.

"You would say the same thing if you could smell it." Said Natsu seriously, too focused to retort. "Got it! Follow me!" Taking off through the trees, he waved the others on behind him.

"Not even a little rest?" whined Lucy, jogging along with the rest.

~.~

Soon, the team approached a clearing in the trees, where Erza stopped them.

"Natsu, is he just past those trees?"

"Yeah, I'm sure of it. Let's get him!" Natsu rushed forward, only to be pulled back by the nape of his neck.

"No. We need to have a plan. If he is as powerful as the evidence suggests, then we need to be careful." She peered through the trees. "I can see him. He's standing on the edge of the cliff on the opposite end of the clearing. Now, see how the trees go in a semicircle? If we split up, we can surround him so he can't escape. I'll go in first, and see if I can talk to him. Lucy, you go right. Grey, stay here in the middle, and Natsu, go left."

Natsu and Grey looked like they were about to argue, but Lucy interrupted, still panting.

"Sounds great! You got this, Erza!" And she slowly started walking towards her position.

Erza fixed the boys with a bone-chilling glare, and they obediently shuffled off.

"Don't move until he tries to escape or if I need backup."

~.~

Erza walked calmly forward, and stepped out into the clearing, sword in hand.

"Are you the fire mage who has been burning down the forest? Answer me!"

The figure in front of her turned around, and Erza's eyebrows shot up, but otherwise she showed no sign of emotion. She had expected…well, she didn't know what she had expected. Before her was a woman, tall and willowy with long arms and legs. She was armed to the teeth, with a katana, multiple daggers, and two dao swords strapped to her back. Her right eyebrow was pierced, and a black pauldron covered her left shoulder. She cut a fierce figure, and yet Erza sensed incredible sadness coming from her. She called out again, this time tense and ready to fight.

"Are you the fire mage? Or do you know where he is?"

"I…know where they are." The woman replied, struggling with her words as though straining with a heavy weight.

"Then tell me! Where is he?"

" _She can't_."

What? There was a pause, then Erza suddenly requipped and brought a shield up, barely blocking the dagger that had flown for her chest. As soon as she lowered the shield, however, she was immediately assaulted by two more knives being expertly wielded by someone who Erza saw was incredibly skilled. Curious, she took her time, mostly playing defense to learn the stranger's movements. She was just dodging a particularly vicious swipe when she collided with her opponent's knee. Erza felt herself fall to her knees, clutching her head.

This was inconceivable. She hadn't even begun to fight! She cursed herself for not striking sooner. Clearly, she had left herself open while playing her arrogant game. But she couldn't give up, there was no way she would lose! She summoned the strength to raise her sword, but was hit in the head again with a devastating crack. This woman had no sense of honor! To attack while her opponent was down, with a rock, no less! She tried to stand, but the ground rushed up to meet her. Still conscious, but beginning to feel the blood pool and flow from her skull, she became aware that her enemy had pulled her up to her knees again. Helpless, she was forced to meet her eyes as she was regarded closely.

She felt, as she locked eyes with her attacker, as though she was being read like an open book. The woman's eyes were almost cloudy, like she wasn't even there. Erza broke contact, and she heard a soft laugh that made her shiver. She felt a blade against the back of her neck, and a whisper she could barely make out. She didn't seem to be struggling with her words anymore. Where in the world were her friends?

"What pretty, _scarlet_ hair." Erza's eyes jerked open. _Scarlet_. She knew her. Somehow, inexplicably, she _knew_ her. She knew about—"I see how much Jellal loves it. So selfish of you to keep it for yourself."

Erza was shaking now. How did she know? What was this evil woman going to do to her?

"I think I'll keep some of it. As a souvenir." And with a few sharp swipes, all of her red hair lay in a pile at her feet, and the woman let go. Erza fell hard, tears running down her face. The last thing she heard before succumbing to oblivion were seven words:

" _I wonder what they'll call you now."_

~.~

Gray had moved to his position, cursing Erza silently. He paced aimlessly, but at the sound of clashing metal he looked towards the clearing, moving closer to the edge of the trees. He saw Erza holding a shield with a dagger buried inside it. He was impressed by her opponent's speed, but they were no match for Erza. No contest. He smirked, and turned around to return to his post. He had almost reached it when he heard a sharp crack. Curious, he returned to see what was going on. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. He had turned his back for maybe thirty seconds. How could Erza be slumped, defeated, so quickly?

Gray stumbled into the clearing, paying no heed to the dark figure who had returned to the edge of the cliff. He dropped to his knees next to his fallen comrade, jaw slack with disbelief and rage. He stared for a moment. Erza was in bad condition, blood running down her face, mingling with streaks of tears. The bastard cut her hair?! Why? He gingerly moved her now short mane aside to look at her injury. This was bad. If they didn't get help soon…He removed his shirt, applying pressure to the wound.

He whipped his head around to glare furiously at…a woman? He paused, looking her up and down warily. What kind of trick was this?

"You're…are you the fire mage? Answer me quickly, and you might escape with your life!" demanded Gray, shaking with rage.

"Please…stop asking. Take your friend and…go." What was up with her voice?

"Just tell me! What are you hiding?"

"She's gone…take him away… _she'll die because of your negligence, Fullbuster_!"

Gray roared, charging her blindly. "Ice Make—!" He suddenly found himself careening towards the trees, his chest aching from an expertly placed kick. He slammed to the ground between two young trees, fairly certain he had felt a crack. Who was this woman? He didn't have time to think, because she was already closing in. "Ice Make—!" But he was cut off again, this time by a distractingly beautiful face close to his. She had slipped inside his stance? How—but she was looking into, no, _past_ his eyes. What was she doing? He unclasped his hands to push her away, but she had bought all the time she needed. She flung his arms upward, the backs of his hands slamming into the trees on either side. Before he could react, two daggers had buried themselves into his palms, trapping his hands firmly to the tree trunks.

Gray screamed in pain, and he heard a ripple of laughter in his ear. His head was yanked back by his hair, and he heard that change in tone more clearly now. Her voice was clearer, but far more sinister, as she whispered:

 _"Look at her, Gray. Look at Erza."_ His head was jerked forward as he was forced to gaze at Erza again. His eyes watered as he choked,

"What do you want, you bitch?"

 _"Want? I want for nothing. I have the girl. As for you, I'm disappointed. I expected more from you, but you can't even muster the guts to fight for your comrades. I want you to know: your little friends will meet the same fate. I will break them, just as I did Erza…and you. Know this, and know that you have failed them all."_

Gray felt something collide with his head, and blackness engulfed him. The last words he could make out were:

" _Ul and Ultear clearly died for nothing. Such a disappointment."_

~.~

Lucy walked slowly through the forest, dragging her feet. Erza could take care of herself, there was no need to rush. She stumbled to her position, and plopped down among some ferns. Nothing wrong with a quick rest…

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of Gray screaming. She had heard him cry out in pain before, but this was different. This sound was mingled with rage. Lucy started running towards the clearing. She burst through the trees just in time to see a heavily armed woman hit a pinioned Gray in the head, knocking him unconscious. Her eyes darted to the side. Erza! Tears pooled in her eyes as she took in the scene. Erza and Gray, two of the strongest mages she knew, defeated and severely injured. And…was Erza's hair cut? Her eyes widened as she realized her situation, but she held her ground. Her hand hovered over her whip as she called out,

"What did you do to my friends? Are you the fire mage everyone's been talking about?"

She saw the woman's posture slacken a bit, and was surprised to hear a quiet strained voice reply,

"I can't hold…no, leave me alone."

"So you're not the mage? Then why did you hurt my friends?" Tears of anger were spilling down Lucy's cheeks as she struggled to gain control.

"They wouldn't…he stopped… _come and get me, little girl. Mommy and Daddy want you to come home_."

Lucy's eyes widened as more tears nearly blinded her. Hurriedly wiping her eyes, she prepared to fight, when she looked up to find the strange woman standing right in front of her. Lucy paused, confused. Why were her eyes so clouded? And why did they make her feel so strange?

The woman suddenly turned and walked quickly away, heading towards the cliff. At the edge, she turned, and held up something shining. Lucy gasped. Her keys! She looked down, stupidly, but that cow must have picked them off of her while Lucy was distracted. She looked sharply at the woman, rage beginning to course through her veins.

"Give them back."

" _Your spirits. They love you so much. So helpless."_ She was having no trouble speaking now.

"You…are going to pay." Quivered Lucy, barely able to speak. She started running at the stock still figure, unsure of what to do, only knowing that she had to save her friends. She took out her whip, and cracked it at the stranger as viciously as she could.

Instead of making contact, she felt a yank as the woman jerked her forward, using her whip against her with surprising strength, stopping Lucy with a hand at her throat.

" _If you make a surprise appearance, Leo, I will kill her. You know I will."_ She called out.

Lucy gulped for air as her thoughts raced. How could she know about Loke? How could she know about any of this?

" _You were always the weakest, Lucy Heartfillia. You let your little pets do all the fighting for you. So useless."_ Suddenly, the keys were gone from her hand. Lucy silently screamed as she looked down, her keys glittering as they fell. And then they were gone.

The woman smirked and tossed Lucy to the ground. She knelt beside her and began massaging Lucy's throat. Lucy opened her eyes, still crying, but feeling her throat come back to life under the stranger's surprisingly gentle hands.

" _I need you to sing for me, little bird."_

Lucy began to struggle. "Natsu!" She screamed.

"Beautiful. Now let's turn up the volume." Pulling Lucy by her hair, she dragged her towards the middle of the clearing. " _You will always hold him back. How does that feel?"_ And the woman brought her foot down onto Lucy's leg with a sharp crack.

~.~

Natsu huffed off sulkily. Erza always had to take the fun out of everything! He wanted a piece of the action! Maybe the wizard would be strong enough for Erza to need help. He sniffed hopefully as he walked more quickly to his position.

He squatted, peering through the trees, but all he could see were blurry shapes and a flash of red. Erza. He relaxed, sitting on his butt. A minute passed. He poked at a passing caterpillar, bored. Suddenly he heard Gray screaming. Natsu's ears pricked up, but he smirked. So Gray had his work cut out for him? He started to think this wizard might be a fun challenge.

Another minute went by, and Natsu's head suddenly snapped up. He charged toward the clearing, cursing his dumb brain. If Gray was in pain, that meant Erza was down, maybe Gray too.

"Natsu!" Oh, no, Lucy!

He burst through the trees just in time to see a strange woman stomp on Lucy's leg.

Lucy screamed. Natsu's stomach clenched at the sound. It was heart wrenching and absolutely terrifying.

"Stop! What are you doing? Lucy!" Natsu rushed forward.

" _Take one more step and she dies."_ Whispered the woman, calmly. Natsu stopped in his tracks. She was holding her two dao up against Lucy's throat, lifting her face up. Her throat was bruised, and she was sobbing. Natsu saw red, but he stayed put. He glanced to the side. Erza was bleeding and her hair was gone. Gray was pinned and unconscious. And Lucy was being tortured in front of him.

"N-Natsu. She knows us. She's too powerful. Please…run!" sobbed Lucy.

"Never." Said Natsu, grinding his sharp teeth.

" _No. You won't run. And I'm glad of it. I want something of yours. The scarf, in exchange for the girl."_

Natsu touched Igneel's scarf, tears running down his face now.

"Natsu, don't. I'm not worth it—Aaaaaaaaah!" Lucy screamed again as the woman stomped on her other leg.

More tears poured out of Natsu's eyes, as he said through gritted teeth: "Don't ever say that, Lucy. Don't you dare." He almost screamed in frustration and rage. But he wiped his tears away, and took off his scarf. Walking slowly toward the stranger, he held out his father's gift, glaring at her with all of the hate and heat he possessed. She smiled without showing her teeth, and gently took the scarf.

She withdrew her dao, sheathing them and stepping away from Lucy. Natsu dropped to his knees, cradling Lucy's head, unsure of what to do. He looked up, and was startled to see that evil woman drop to her knees, shaking. She had left an opening! He prepared to blast her with all the fire he could muster when she turned her face to him.

Tears were pouring down her face. For a moment, she scanned the clearing before looking straight at him. Enraged, he finally roared at her, sending his strongest flames straight at her.

There was a gulping sound, and suddenly his flames were sucked into her mouth. She swallowed, and began to sob, still gazing at Natsu. He looked at her, mouth agape as she said,

"You have what you came for. I'm so…I can't…" And with that, the fire mage threw herself off of the cliff.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Lucy, are you okay?! What did she do to you?"

"Natsu…she took my keys…threw them off the cliff…all my fault…"

Natsu held her close, his eyes burning. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he jerked around, ready to fight. He saw Loke's angry face looking back at him and relaxed slightly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. That bitch made me stay put too. Lucy, are you alright?"

"I was too weak. Loke, the others…"

"We'll find them. It'll be okay. Natsu, go help Grey and Erza. I'll take Lucy—"

"You check on Grey and Erza." Loke blinked. Natsu was looking at the ground, but his grip around Lucy was tight. "I'll take care of Lucy." Lucy said nothing, and helplessly looked at the ground. She dimly heard Loke murmuring to Gray.

"Come on, wake up! We gotta get Erza to the guild. Gray!" Loke slapped him across the face. "Wake up!"

Gray opened his eyes just in time for his friend to swiftly pull out the daggers in his hands. He inhaled sharply and cried out.

"Welcome back," said Loke grimly. "Listen, the only two people uninjured here are me and Natsu. Now, your hands are useless but your legs work, so you'll have to walk. Natsu and I will carry the girls."

"Erza...Lucy…" Gray mind suddenly cleared. He glanced wildly around, his eyes resting on Erza, Natsu, Lucy…

"Are you gonna be okay?" Loke was staring at him worriedly. "Pull yourself together. There'll be plenty of time to be angry when we get back to the guild." He turned and ran to Erza. "Natsu, let's move!"

Gray turned away, his eyes burning, grateful that everyone's back was to him. _Such a disappointment_.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Wendy, what are you looking at? Don't wander off, child!"

"I'm fine. This is such a pretty bag. Mine _is_ starting to fall apart."

Wendy and her Exceed friend were wandering the streets of Magnolia, having finished tidying at the guild. They were, of course, followed by Happy, who was trying his hardest to win Carla over.

"I brought some extra fish if you want some. Are you hungry?"

"You know perfectly well we ate twenty minutes ago, tomcat. It's a wonder you're not bursting at the seams." Quipped Carla.

"Carla, what do you think? Should I get the bag?" The she-cat flew over to Wendy, leaving Happy to sniffle and eat his fish miserably. He wandered a little ahead and sat on a crate, hanging his head sadly.

"Happy!" Happy looked up, and shouted excitedly,

"Natsu!" But as he started to fly towards his best friend, he stopped short. He noticed Lucy dangling from Natsu's arms, Loke carrying Erza, and Gray stumbling along behind them. Natsu ran to Happy, saying,

"Happy, where's Wendy! Erza's hurt, we need Wendy—"

"I'm here, I heard you shouting, what do you—oh no, what happened?" Wendy had run up, Carla hot on her heels. Loke stepped forward.

"Erza's been hit on the head, hard. She's been bleeding for an hour, maybe two. There's no time to take her to the guild."

Wendy quickly knelt down. A blue glow enveloped her hands as she gently touched Erza's head. After a moment, she spoke softly.

"She'll live. She's lucky the wound isn't magical. I'll stabilize her for now, so we can get her comfortable in the infirmary."

"Uhn—" Lucy groaned, opening her eyes.

"Lucy! You're hurt, too—" began Wendy.

"Erza. Help Erza. I can wait." Said Lucy firmly. Natsu looked down, but she refused to make eye contact, her face drawn with pain.

"Oh-okay. There. She's safe, for now." Said Wendy, standing up.

"To the guild, quickly! We need to get out of the street!" exclaimed Carla. "What on earth happened?"

Gray and Natsu pushed forward without speaking. Loke followed, still carrying Erza.

"We'll explain later."

~.~

That night, the guild hall was silent as the senior guild members grouped in the infirmary by Erza and Lucy's beds. Natsu and Gray were still quiet, sitting in chairs between the two beds, Gray's hands bandaged, Natsu with a dejected Happy perched on his shoulder. Loke had just finished explaining the day's events before bidding them farewell and disappearing back into the spirit world. Juvia had initially rushed to Gray's side, but he was unresponsive, so she settled for watching him from a distance. Mirajane was helping Wendy and Carla change Erza's bandages, her lips a thin, angry line. Master Makarov was standing in the middle of the floor, his fists clenched, furious. Macao and Wakaba were sitting in chairs by the wall, their arms folded tightly. Jet and Droy looked like they might be sick. Levy, unsure of what to do, had sat on the edge of Lucy's bed, a scared look on her face. Laxus and Gajeel, though in separate corners, had the same attitude, deceptively casual, but faces black with anger.

Gajeel spoke first. "Huh."

They all looked at him. "Speak up if you have something to say." Said Makarov, whose every vein looked ready to explode.

The Iron Dragonslayer took his time before replying, "She was playing with you. Her intent was not to kill, but to break."

"That's crystal clear to me. Your point?" demanded the old master.

"Figuring out why is what we should do first. Breaking people is very easy once you stop caring. It could be she's working for someone, or she was just bored."

Gajeel stood tall, and stared intently at the floor. Everyone recalled his attack on Levy, Jet and Droy years before, and remembered that he knew what he was talking about. "Once we know why, we can better protect the guild and catch her sorry ass."

Laxus looked at Gajeel with interest. He had never heard him hint about his unsavory past before, and now, he recognized the tone that Gajeel used. Laxus hadn't branded and humiliated any of the guild members, but he had forced them to fight each other and had nearly destroyed all of Magnolia. Somehow, he had never made the connection.

"Gray." Everyone snapped back to earth at the soft sound of Levy's voice. She was standing in front of the ice mage, her hand on his shoulder. "Loke said he saw and heard everything that passed between Lucy, Natsu, and the fire mage, but that he wasn't present when you and Erza encountered her. Do you remember anything that might indicate what her motives were?"

Gray raised his head and blinked hard. "She-she knew me. She looked at my face and she knew…everything. It felt like she could see inside my head." He shook his head as though dusting off cobwebs, and looked at Levy. "There was something wrong with her voice. It kept…changing. And she cut Erza's hair. Why would she do that?"

Levy stood up, turning to face the rest of her guildmates. "That could mean anything. I don't know what to make of it. But something is wrong with this picture."

"What isn't wrong about this picture?" said Macao.

"It's sick." Agreed Wakaba.

"Erza might have something more to tell us when she wakes up." Said Mira, having finished putting away the bandages.

Makarov took a deep breath, then nodded his head. "I agree. Tell me as soon as she does." He looked at Natsu and Gray and paused. "Natsu, Gray? Come with me." They stayed put. "I'm not asking you to leave Lucy and Erza for the night, I just want to talk to you privately for a moment." He waited until Natsu and Gray had slowly stood up before he walked out of the infirmary door, followed by the two mages.

~.~

Master Makarov led them up the stairs and into his office, which was dimly lit. He strode towards his desk, and leaned against it with a sigh. Turning towards the two wizards, who stood next to each other in the middle of the room, he said, "Now. Everyone has the basic idea of what happened. But I believe there's more that you can tell us that Loke may not have observed. Is there?"

Natsu finally ended his silence, his voice shaking, "All I know is that she hurt my _nakama_ , and she will pay!"

"Natsu, please keep calm!" warned the master. Natsu's hands were on fire, and his head had started smoking.

His voice began to rise in volume, "She hurt Lucy and I couldn't do anything! She didn't have the guts to give me a fair fight! I'll kill her! I'll—"

He was cut short by a cold, bandaged hand on his shoulder. Gray was standing very still, and he raised his head and looked at the master. "She knew exactly how to get to us. I don't know how or why, but she knew my weaknesses, how to get inside my attacks. She grabbed Lucy's keys, and kept Loke out of the game. And somehow, she knew how to not have to fight Natsu, how to make him stay back. She even knew—" He paused.

Natsu had quieted down, and as Gray recalled how easily they had been defeated, he had hung his head.

"What, Gray?" asked Makarov. "What else did she know?"

"Nothing," replied Gray shortly.

"She knew about Igneel," said Natsu. "She knew about my scarf, and she took it." They looked at Natsu, surprised. Somehow they hadn't noticed Igneel's present was gone. His neck looked naked and forlorn without it. "Gray, how could she know about that? What else did she know about you?"

Gray struggled with his words, taking a long time to answer. "She…she knew about Ul, and Ultear."

Master Makarov's brow was knitted together tightly. "This is serious. There's almost no way for anyone to be that powerful. To use some kind of telepathy magic and dragon slayer magic—"

"She's not a dragon slayer," interrupted Natsu. "I'm positive. She swallowed my fire, but she doesn't smell right."

"Well, we can't do anything until we have more information," said the master. "Natsu, Gray, I don't think I need to tell you not to run off seeking revenge. You need to heal, and your teammates need you. The time for payback will come soon enough. You are dismissed." The two mages nodded and walked quickly back to the infirmary. Makarov closed the door behind them, and stayed facing the door for a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lucy woke abruptly from a confused, panicked dream. She kept her eyes closed at first, breathing slowly to calm herself.

 _You will always hold him back. How does that make you feel?_

Her eyes flew open. "Natsu." She whispered. She looked over, feeling a weight next to her side that turned out to be Happy. She saw Natsu and Gray dozing in chairs next to her and Erza. At the sound of his name, Natsu opened his eyes and looked down at her.

"Hey." His voice was relieved, but his eyes were sad.

"I'm so sorry," Lucy said, breaking eye contact. She couldn't stop her voice from trembling. "I let her take your scarf—"

"Stop it, Luce. You know I don't care about that."

"But you do. I always hold you back, and I'm so…useless." The last word was whispered.

Natsu was silent for a moment, and Lucy understood. He couldn't agree with her, because they were best friends, but they both knew that what she said was true. Suddenly, she felt a hand on hers. She looked up, and Natsu was looking back.

"You help me be better. Don't you get it? Your power is in your heart." Lucy blushed a little through the tears that had welled up at his words. He hadn't been thinking about that at all. "We all wish we had half the power you do. We can get knocked around and fight as much as we want, but your heart is what makes you _you_. Understand?" She smiled weakly, and he pulled her into a hug.

"How are your legs?" Lucy hadn't noticed they'd woken up Gray. Natsu let her go and turned around, greeting Gray with a nod. The ice mage's face was drawn and paler than usual.

"Fine, thanks to Wendy. Are you okay?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah. Peachy." Answered Grey shortly.

"Erza hasn't woken up, then."

"Wendy said it should be sometime today."

"We need to talk to her. We have to figure out what happened and how we can kick fire lady's ass!" said Natsu animatedly.

"I'm awake." Came a quiet response from the other bed.

"Erza!" shouted three voices at once. She winced. There were murmured apologies. "How long have you been awake?" asked Lucy.

"Only a little while." Lucy got up and walked over, where Natsu and Gray had already gathered. She tried not to show any emotion, but her eyes glimmered with more tears. Erza's bandages were gone now, she was sitting up, and she was engaging with all of them, but her face was alarmingly similar to Gray's, pale and drawn, as if they had both aged a few years.

"Lucy, are you okay? You look as pale as Gray." It seemed as though Erza had mirrored her thoughts.

"I'm fine. What about you?"

"Nothing, I mean, yes, I'm fine." There was a tense silence. Team Natsu looked at each other and, without words, understood each other with something deeper and instinctive. They all jumped as the door creaked open, revealing Master Makarov and Wendy.

"Ah, Erza, you're awake. Glad to see you." Greeted the old man.

"Master." Acknowledged Erza. Wendy stepped up to the bed.

"You shouldn't get up just yet. I wouldn't get up 'till tomorrow morning. Your head was badly injured. Lucy's legs were one thing, but you almost died."

"I'm sorry, Wendy, but we don't have time for bedrest. There might be a serious threat posed to the guild and I must help to protect it." Erza swung her legs over the side and stood up slowly, clutching her head. Though she tried to hide it, everyone saw her pause for one second and run her hand through her hair before turning to face them. She wobbled, and Natsu grabbed her arm.

"I said I'm fine," she stood up straight and looked at her comrades. "I assume that, since we're in the infirmary and almost everyone has been injured, we lost the…fire mage, correct?"

"Correct," said Makarov. "Perhaps now would be a good time, now you all have had some space between now and the attack, for each one of you to tell us exactly what happened, in your own words." Everyone stiffened ever so slightly. Erza took a deep breath, braced herself, leaned against the bed post, and spoke first.

"I agree." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "Natsu had sniffed her out to a clearing near the edge of a cliff. I split up the group, hoping that by surrounding her and attacking with one person first that we could best ensure her capture. I went in first, to try and persuade her to come quietly. She spoke, or…tried to speak—"

"What did she say? Can you remember her exact words?" interrupted Makarov.

"She said that she knew where the fire mage was, but then she spoke of herself in third person, and her voice changed…She attacked when she started speaking clearly, and—I lost." Erza's voice had changed to a dull monotone, devoid of all emotion. "Once I was down, she looked at me—" Her teammates exchanged glances. "She read me like a book, and then…she spoke again, still clearly…she said she knew about Jellal, something that only Jellal and I know, a moment from our childhood, and she…cut my hair."

Erza cleared her throat and shook her head slightly. Lucy reached out to comfort her, but thought better of it and let her hand fall lamely by her side.

"And Gray emerged next…" continued Makarov. Gray coughed and nodded.

"I saw Erza talking to the woman, and I turned my back for thirty seconds…just thirty seconds, I swear, and Erza was down. I ran out, and saw Erza bleeding. I asked her what she knew, but she told me to take Erza and go. She said something about taking "him" away before her voice changed and she…called me by name. I attacked, but she kept stopping me without even using magic. She looked at me, too. It wasn't right." His voice held a disbelief which quickly changed to disgust. "She pinned me, and said she "had the girl", and that I…failed…" he paused, and no one prompted him to go on. His took a breath, and said in such a low voice that only Natsu could hear clearly: "the last thing she said was that Ul and Ultear died for nothing." Natsu opened his mouth, but said nothing.

"I heard Gray screaming, so I followed him out." Said Lucy quietly. "I saw him and Erza hurt, and I was so angry…I lost focus." Her bottom lip trembled. "She didn't say much to me, but when she did her voice changed, too, and she said—." Tears had started falling down her face. "She said my parents were waiting for me to die. That's when she took my keys. She knew everything, she knew about my spirits, she knew about Loke, and she knew about Natsu." She stopped, too upset to go on. Natsu reached out and grabbed her hand, and when he spoke, it was quiet, far deadlier than when he screamed. Makarov's eyes widened slightly. Wendy looked scared.

"She broke Lucy's legs. She didn't let me fight. She took my scarf. She didn't talk, she didn't fight me. Coward."

"Natsu, Loke said she left an opening right before she dove off the cliff, yet you hesitated. Why?" prompted Makarov. Natsu frowned.

"She looked at us, and she was crying. I didn't understand, but it doesn't matter. The bitch will pay."

"She fell off of a cliff. I doubt she survived." Said Erza sharply.

"But she swallowed Natsu's fire. Someone that powerful might walk away from a fall like that." Murmured the master. "I doubt we've seen the last of her. Something doesn't sit right here, and I intend to find it out. Until we have more information, I forbid any of you from going after her. She did a number on you without magic, Mavis forbid you make her fight with it. Understood?" Natsu growled, but said nothing. "Good. Rest up so you can get your asses moving again." Makarovs eyes softened, and his eyes crinkled sadly. Everyone nodded, and the master left the room, closing the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Deep in the forests of Magnolia, at the bottom of a cliff, lay a still, slender figure. It had not moved for two days, and a few leaves were strewn across it. A fox came cautiously out, sniffing the body, circling it. It was startled when the girl's eyes opened, but stood its ground. The startlingly blue orbs gazed gently at the fox's brown ones as a tear leaked slowly out. She closed her eyes, and felt a soft tongue licking her face. Her lips twitched slightly and she sat up.

Looking up at the cliff, she sighed, then clutched her head so suddenly that the fox skittered away in fright. She stood up, still with one hand to her forehead, and began walking into the forest. In her belt was a lock of red hair, a pouch full of keys, and a scaly scarf, the last of which she held clenched in her hand.

An hour or so later, she noticed that the fox had followed her. Her stomach rumbled, and her face changed to a dark, unrecognizable expression as her right hand was suddenly enveloped in flames. She turned towards the animal, who was backing away. She shook her head, her expression clearing, and gazing sadly at him, said,

"Run. Please." He did not move.

"RUN!" Sparks flew out of her mouth, and this time he listened.

The girl began walking again, her face expressionless except for her constantly sad eyes. She walked for a long time, slowly, in no particular direction. A few hours later, she found the river, and paused, seeing blackberry bushes by the edge.

Ten minutes later she had gathered and eaten her fill, stripped, and now bathed, trying to let the water wash everything away. She had just turned back to the riverbank, only to see the fox once again beside her. He was sniffing the stolen items in her belt. Pawing at them, he looked up and whined. She followed his gaze, then stared up at the fox. She suddenly sprang out of the water. Steam rolled off of her body and she quickly put her clothes on, hesitating briefly when she put on her belt. Having forgotten the fox in her haste to put her new plan into action, she froze as she saw him sitting expectantly on his haunches. Her expression changed again, but she fought it off more quickly this time, and whispered fiercely: "Get. Away. From. Me."

Somehow, the creature finally understood, and ran away. The fire mage turned on her heel and walked with a new direction and a new purpose. She was going to fix this. As she walked, she noticed that the fox had disappeared.

Hours went by, and still she walked, until she came upon a large tree with a door embedded in its gnarled trunk. Standing in front of it was an old woman, tall and proud, with a red robe and tightly knotted purple hair. The fire mage walked up to her, looked her in the eyes, and handed her the scarf and the keys. Taking the lock of red hair, she knelt on the ground and buried it beneath one of the tree roots. Standing back up, she said,

"Please deliver those to Fairy Tail." And with that, she turned and ran in the other direction.

Porlyusica grimaced, gazing at the back of the fleeing girl, and murmured, "This is not going to end well."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Fairy Tail guild hall was unsettlingly quiet. It had been three days since the attack, and everyone was shifty and uneasy. Even Natsu didn't eat with his usual gumption. Master Makarov was sitting at the bar with Levy, talking very seriously. Levy, as usual, had books strewn everywhere, but wasn't looking at them. She was completely absorbed in the correlations Master was making between the individual attacks.

"All four of them say that the woman looked at them, and then knew everything about them and how to defeat them."

Levy frowned. "But you said that she didn't look at Gray until after she had attacked. She knew how best to fight him without using her telepathy, or whatever it is."

"But she did see Erza's. Perhaps she can see so completely that she could gather information on all of the team members from just one person."

"That's impossible. And if she could do that, why would she keep looking at them in turn? And why not Natsu?" Levy paused. "Maybe she saw how consistently his teammates viewed him as both their trump card and their wild card, the one who moves and thinks so wildly that she wouldn't get close enough to try—Oh!"

"What? What are you thinking?"

"Lucy. She didn't try to fight Natsu because she knew she didn't have to. Not with Lu there."

"What about me?" Called Lucy suspiciously from down the bar. Levy opened her mouth, but Makarov cut her off.

"We're trying to figure out how to get your keys back. It's going to be difficult to track the wizard, but we'll find her and reunite you with your spirits in no t—" But Lucy's attention was drawn to the front doors, and she cut him off, saying,

"I don't think that'll be a problem anymore…"

The guild master turned his head, and saw what everyone else was gaping at. Gliding haughtily down the hall was Porlyusica, the woman who claimed to hate all humans with a passion. She looked strangely less disgusted than usual, and her face even softened as she reached Natsu's table. He looked up as she gently set his scarf down next to him, and a look of pure joy and relief flooded his face. He wrapped it around his neck, and opened his mouth to speak, but the healer had already moved on.

She stopped in front of Lucy, and solemnly handed the celestial gate keys back to their mistress. Lucy felt like sobbing, but managed to only let a small handful of tears escape as she gurgled a quiet "thank you". Porlyusica then turned to Makarov, whispered a word in his ear, and straightened up with an expectant expression.

Makarov faced the hall, whose attention was now fully fixed on the wizened healer. The old master growled out, "Porlyusica tells me that she received Natsu's and Lucy's possessions from the hands of the fire mage, with whom she is familiar, and has information that will benefit everyone to hear."

Porlyusica scanned the hall slowly before speaking. "First of all, you can stop calling her 'fire mage'. Her name is Naomi, and you might as well use it." Whispers echoed through the hall, but she cleared her throat and continued, "She is one of the strongest wizards I have ever encountered, and also one of the bravest. I know it is hard to believe, but she has faced more terrors than any of you can ever know, and she faces them daily."

"Just tell us what her magic is so we can find her and kick her ass!" said Natsu. He instantly quailed when the healer flicked her eyes in his direction. She did not blink until she continued speaking.

"It's not that simple. She is a fire demon slayer. I have no idea what that power entails, because I have rarely seen her use it, but it is the only explanation for the things she can do and endure." She let that sink in before speaking again.

"I don't know what happened to her, but since I found her wandering in the woods three months ago I have sensed a darkness in her, something that she can't control. Naomi knows things that she couldn't possibly know, and she acts the complete opposite of who she truly is. Something is amplifying her powers. She won't tell me what it is, and I haven't pressed the issue. All I know is that she is easily startled, and the darkness can manifest itself when she feels threatened, which I assume is why your guild mates are looking so sorry for themselves over there." Team Natsu bristled, but Porlyusica ignored them. Looking at Master Makarov, then at the guild again, she bowed slightly, and began abruptly walking away, saying over her shoulder, "You would be wise not to go after her. She is volatile at best, and you will only get yourselves killed."

"If she's so powerful and brave, then why is this Naomi chick burning up chunks of forest like she can't control her power?" called Gray, nearly spitting. The healer turned, looked him in the eye, sighed, then said,

"I can't imagine the distress caused by whatever she's fighting. Perhaps it is collateral damage. But I think she might be trying to burn it out, from the inside."

And with that, Porlyusica left the hall and the stunned silence she left in her wake.

~.~

Makarov cleared his throat. "Well. It seems that the more information we get, the more questions there are."

"No kidding." Said Levy. "But whatever is going on here is much bigger than we originally thought."

Team Natsu had gathered in a corner and were talking quietly. Soon they all turned, and Erza stepped forward.

"Master, we think it would be best that we do a reconnaissance mission, tracking Naomi's movements and keeping her from burning down more land. No confrontation, nothing—"

"And put Natsu that close to a dangerous mage who he'll be itching to fight? Absolutely not!" growled Master.

"But we have to try and protect everyone from—" started Gray.

"Enough! Leave it alone. You could end up endangering everyone here poking and prodding at her. Just stay put and things will take care of themselves. That's final."

No one bothered to argue, and Natsu and Gray slunk away to grumble and uselessly plot, too halfhearted to fight each other. Everyone was too frustrated and worn out to notice Makarov making eye contact with Gajeel and Laxus, indicating his head upstairs, and discreetly exiting the hall. The two men followed soon after.

~.~

"I want you to go after Naomi." Laxus and Gajeel stared.

"Bullshit," said Gajeel. "Why? You just said that was a bad idea. We should just leave it alone."

"Really. We don't bother her, she does her own thing and keeps to herself. She knows she's a threat and so she stays away. Seems like a reasonable situation to me." Agreed Laxus.

"This isn't up for discussion." Growled Makarov. "She is in pain, a fellow human being who is trying desperately to do the right thing. Porlyusica may not agree, but I believe that she could be a huge asset, especially if we can help get rid of whatever is possessing her. I want you two to go into the forest, and track her down. Start at Porlyusica's place. That's where we know she was last."

"You're serious. You may not have noticed, old man, but we ain't the meet and greet type." Said Gajeel, folding his arms.

"I need it to be you. Team Natsu is out of the question, they're too emotionally involved in the mission. You are two of the most powerful mages, and I highly doubt Naomi, or whatever is inside her, could get inside your heads as easily."

"What makes you say that?" asked Laxus, raising an eyebrow.

"Because you both know what it is to be in a dark place. You've faced your demons, and have been able to because you were given a helping hand." The two wizards' jaws tightened ever so slightly. "She hurt my children, and for that I will make sure she makes amends, but she clearly did not do it of her own will. Her self-imposed isolation makes it clear to me that she does not think she can be around people. By sending you two, I know that you can reach out in your own way while still being able to protect yourselves from whatever she throws your way. Understood?"

Laxus and Gajeel had visibly stiffened by now, but had stopped arguing.

"Good. I want you to leave now, try to pick up the scent while it's still fresh." They turned to leave and opened the door. "Good luck, boys. Also, if you see Porlyusica, make something up. Picking berries for Mirajane's pie or something. I don't fancy another personal visit."

Laxus' lip twitched, and he raised his hand in farewell as he and Gajeel left the guild hall. Master Makarov looked out from the balcony and frowned.

"Stay safe, children. And come back home."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Okay. We made it. Smell anything?"

Laxus and Gajeel had arrived at Porlyusica's hut very quickly, and were hiding in the bushes surrounding the area.

"No. Dammit, I'm gonna have to get closer." Gajeel reluctantly edged forward out of the bushes, and Laxus could see the wariness in his eyes. He smirked, then began to chuckle as Gajeel tiptoed around the door and began sniffing in the daintiest, most out of character way. Unfortunately, Gajeel heard him and whipped around indignantly, only to freeze in terror. Laxus' smile fell, and he suddenly felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Turning, he found himself staring into the eyes of the furious healer. He scooted back, and accidentally rammed into Gajeel.

"Shit!"

"What do you two think you're doing here?"

Laxus spoke first. "Uh, n-nothing ma'am. We were just—uh…"

"We were picking berries for Mirajane!" Gajeel burst out. Porlyusica stared, then did the unthinkable. She _smiled_. Her lips twitched uncontrollably and it was some time before she spoke.

"Ahem. Berries. I see. Well, in that case, by all means go on your merry way." And she swept past them, unlocked the door, and went in. Laxus and Gajeel looked at each other, then walked away as casually as possible.

"Did you catch the scent?" Laxus muttered.

"Yeah. I got it." Mumbled Gajeel. He seemed to drag his heels a little as they walked onward towards the trees. They had almost made it out of the clearing when—

"Tell Makarov he's going to get it next time I see him!" The two fully grown mages turned tail and ran into the woods at top speed.

~.~

"How much further? Will we need to camp for the night?"

"Nah, she's close. Seems to have stopped running for a bit. We'll catch up pretty soon."

The trees had grown much closer together, and the afternoon shadows had begun to get longer. Laxus and Gajeel had made excellent time, but they both secretly wished they could have gone a bit slower. Neither of them was looking forward to the encounter with this girl. Sure, they had been through some shit, but they had dealt with it and put it behind them. Dragging it up like this was not going to be pleasant.

~.~

Naomi had walked many miles, growing slower and slower. In the back of her mind, he kept getting closer and closer. Keeping him at bay was getting more and more difficult. She had to try again. _Maybe this time_.

She stumbled, and realized that her foot had hit stone. Looking up, she saw that she had found the ruins of an old temple. The walls only came up halfway, and moss covered the majority of the stonework. She walked towards the center, and stopped. In the middle of the room, there was a partially eroded picture of the sun, its rays spanning throughout the temple, the flagstones oriented around it. Naomi knelt down, ran her fingers around the edge of the circle, and sighed. Ages ago, there were people here, who worshiped warmth and light, the kind that gives life. When she had studied and learned to control her magic, Naomi had loved the beautiful dichotomy of order and chaos that came with it, the balance between life and death, give and take. But now…she returned her hand to her side. Now she was an instrument of destruction.

There was no self-pity in her face. She never looked for compassion in herself or others, as she had ceased to expect it long ago. She sat down, and stared at the ground.

~.~

The trees had begun to thin a little, and Laxus pressed forward, jogging a little ahead. He could hear Gajeel speeding up behind him, and slowed down.

"You want something?"

"Stop, idiot. She's close." Laxus slowed to a walk, and the two men edged forward. There was a break in the trees, and they could see the temple ruins.

"She's in there?"

"Yeah. Damn, I wish we could see from here." Gajeel crouched, preparing to spring forward. Laxus held out a hand.

"Remember what we're here for." Gajeel grimaced and straightened up. Together, they walked toward the temple.

They reached the entrance at the same time, and both stood in what used to be the doorway. Facing them was the girl, sitting cross-legged and staring at the ground. They froze, then relaxed and took one more step forward, seeing she had her eyes closed and wasn't preparing to attack. Gajeel took in the scene. This Naomi was decent enough to look at, not his type, but he could appreciate her finer points from a distance. She was heavily armed, the old man had said she barely used her magic when she fought Natsu and the other brats. He folded his arms, and glanced at Laxus.

Laxus could feel her magic simmering in the air, and she didn't seem to be making the slightest effort. He looked hard and long at her, studying her, trying to learn what made her so powerful. Her eyes were closed, but her pale face still looked sad from what he could see of it, partly concealed as it was by her messily pulled up hair. Her arms lay limp over her lap. He folded his arms, glancing back at Gajeel. He nodded and spoke first.

"Naomi?"

Her eyes flew open, and her body tensed as she slowly moved to a crouch. Both men unfolded their arms as she put her hand on the hilt of the katana.

"What do you want?" Her voice was demanding, but strained.

"The old man from Fairy Tail sent us." Said Gajeel, cautiously.

"Makarov." Said Naomi. "What does he want with me? I didn't want to hurt his people—your people. Please leave." She sounded slightly panicky, and her words were coming out forced.

"Hey, we just want to talk," said Laxus, his palms instinctively facing out. "Yeah, you messed up, but the master is really into second chances. He wants us to help you—"

"Help?!" Naomi's voice cracked out. "There is no help for me—" but she cut herself off, and her voice changed, her face contorting as it did. " _Help from Makarov's grandson, the one who threw everything back in his face?_ " Laxus said nothing.

" _And Gajeel Redfox, who brutally abused Makarov's 'children', and destroyed their guild hall? Ha! The old bastard really is into second chances_." Her twisted face stared out, then became confused. Gajeel was smiling. Showing his fangs, he grinned fiercely.

"That's right, girlie. We're the bad guys of the guild. Have as much fun poking in our heads as you want. We don't mind." Naomi tensed, and she sprang forward, almost imperceptibly unsheathing her katana. She looked deep into his eyes as Gajeel's Iron Dragon Sword stopped her short. Gajeel chuckled, then shoved her off. She let herself fly through the air, and landed gracefully on her feet. Laxus stepped forward.

"Whatever's in there, come out. We don't mind keeping this body busy 'till you're too tired to keep going—" he stopped short. Naomi's face had cleared, but it was streaked with tears.

"Please get back," she whispered. "I have to try again. Run!"

"We're not going anywh—" began Laxus. He paused. He could feel the heat withdrawing, being sucked towards Naomi. He whipped his head around to look at Gajeel, who was frowning.

"Get down!" He yelled, just as a ball of flame began to form around Naomi. He and Gajeel fell flat, bracing themselves.

The fire ball began to expand, and Naomi was sweating with the effort. She looked like she was trying to shove something away with all of her might. A thin cry was audible. There was a long pause, the two mages watching the girl with a ball of fire inside her, her stance wide, her arms at her sides, fists balled tight. Suddenly, she exploded. Her arms shot out, and she screamed as fire flew in all directions. The two men could see the intense pain written all over her face as fire shot out of her mouth. They gaped as they watched a dark cloud-like figure slowly leak out of her. Whatever she was doing seemed to work.

Then, the figure wrapped threads of shadow around her, pulling itself back in. She was fighting hard, but it wasn't enough. Laxus and Gajeel watched in horror as the creature slowly crawled back into her mouth, and the fire disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Everything went quiet. Naomi swayed, then righted herself. The two wizards stood slowly up.

"He's still here." She said quietly. Her voice ached with sadness. Laxus stepped closer.

"Let us help you—"

"No! Leave me alone!"

"Shut up and listen!" shouted Laxus. Naomi stared. "You're close. Whoever he is, you're close to getting him out. If I could get close, I could add to your power. Take him out together." Gajeel stared at him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? She could roast you."

"Yeah, she could. But like gramps said, she could be an asset."

While the two were talking, Naomi had shifted again. By the time they were aware of her again, she had slipped closer. Looking Gajeel straight in the face, she said,

" _Levy. That's it._ " Gajeel froze.

"Gajeel…" said Laxus warningly.

" _She's your reason for everything. She_ is _your everything._ " Naomi began to laugh, a horrible, twisted laugh. " _But you branded her and hung her out to dry. Marked your property, that's for sure._ " She kept laughing, and Gajeel's face had turned white.

"One more word, bitch."

"Gajeel!" Laxus had grabbed his arm, but Gajeel moved away and towards the girl. There was a pause, then:

" _No wonder she doesn't want you, breaking her like a twig_ —"

Gajeel roared, his scales covering his body as he threw himself at Naomi. She parried his every move, but slowed down as his rage tore through her katana, knives, and dao swords. Finally, she opened her mouth.

Laxus knew that holding Gajeel back was useless. He wasn't going to let her go until she beat him down.

The girl shoved Gajeel away and screamed. Pure energy and fire engulfed him completely. When everything died away, there was nothing but a track of ash. She shook her head, covering her mouth. Suddenly she stiffened and turned.

Laxus, who had darted forward and pulled Gajeel away, was trying to talk him down.

"Calm the fuck down, Gajeel! She's not doing it, it's not her fault!"

"Someone needs to shut that goddamn mouth of hers, it may as well be me!"

"Gajeel! Now is not the time!" Laxus looked up and saw Naomi staring at them. Her hands were at her sides now, and she was backing away.

"Look at her face! Now!" Gajeel glared up. "That is not who talked to you. That's…a completely different person!" Gajeel's breathing began to calm. "Get your head out of your ass and focus!" Laxus let him shove away, walking away to the edge of the temple. Laxus turned to the girl.

"Naomi. Let's do this." She nodded, but her face changed again and she charged, swinging a leg wreathed in flames at Laxus. He ducked under, swinging at her, but she had turned, and blocked with her arms. Their faces close, she whispered,

" _Why, Laxus? Why don't you have a weakness? Not your grandfather, not your father? Where's your heart?_ "

"If I still have one, it's with Fairy Tail," he answered. And he shoved her up and away, pushing himself up from the floor with an electrical charge. She answered by grabbing his hand, flipping, and bringing him back down. Again at a stalemate, her face changed and she said,

"Please. Do it now, Laxus." And she let go of his hand, and formed the internal fireball again. It was harder this time, and Laxus put his hands on her shoulders and added his magic energy to it. She responded and grabbed his arms. Sparks flew around them, and, feeling the explosion welling up, they shouted,

"Gajeel! MOVE!"

Everything shot out. Lightning and fire combined into something akin to a nuclear explosion. Naomi was screaming again, and Laxus could feel her pain. Suddenly he felt an even greater pressure, and he yelled as if his lungs would burst. He saw the creature slowly leak out, and wrap its tentacles around her again.

"Fight it! Fight it! Don't let it in! It doesn't belong there! Make it stop!"

And he pushed and fought with her. Painfully slowly, the tentacles began to break. The last one was still dangling, and Laxus could feel that she was nearly spent. In a last ditch effort, he screamed,

"Lightning Dragon ROAR!" And with that, the last strand broke and the creature faded away into the sunset. The explosion died down, and Laxus could see that they had burned everything around them for several miles. He smirked, but felt Naomi's knees buckle, and she fell. Barely catching her, it was clear she needed to get back to the guild where Wendy could take care of her. Picking her up, he turned to face Gajeel, who was peeking out from behind a wall.

"Are you done? Took you long enough." Gajeel growled.

"Yeah. Let's go." Replied Laxus shortly.

"In case you're wondering, I ain't gonna hold a grudge." Laxus turned, raising an eyebrow. "I really don't wanna get charred to pieces by that witch."

Laxus' lip twitched, and he and Gajeel turned towards home.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The next morning, Natsu burst in through the guild doors, looking particularly energized.

"Laxus! Fight meeee!"

Stopping to breathe, he finally noticed that there was no reply. Frowning, he went up to Lisanna at the bar and ordered breakfast.

"Laxus isn't here yet?"

"It doesn't look like it."

Mirajane, who had been listening, slid a mug over to Natsu and said conspiratorially:

"He and Gajeel went on a mission yesterday. They're not expected back until at least this afternoon."

"What would they go do that for? I wanna fight!"

"'Course you do, dumbass. You're just gonna have to wait." Gray drawled from the corner. Juvia was hovering worriedly behind him.

"Juvia is worried Gray-sama will start a fight with Natsu-san. They are still tired and—"

"What did you call me?" Shouted Natsu, who, sure enough, was charging at Gray. "Say that one more time, pansy."

"I said dumbass, Dragon Balls."

"Ice Princess!"

Natsu was suddenly thrown across the guild, landing at the feet of Erza, who had entered. He looked up, shocked at the intensity of Gray's attack. His face darkened, and his head smoked as he took off to attack. He hadn't so much as left the ground before he felt Erza's grip on his collar. He scrabbled.

"I'm gonna kick his ass once and for all! He—"

"You'll do no such thing," said Erza sternly. Looking up, she addressed Gray as well. "Both of you seem unable to keep emotions out of this, judging by your faces, and you need to learn to deal with it. Do not take it out on your teammates. Now is not the time."

Gray looked slightly ashamed, but Natsu still glowered as he shook Erza off. Heading back to the bar, he missed Lucy stumbling in sleepily.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. It's not going to be a problem for now, anyway." Said Erza, shaking her head. "I do hope things will quiet down soon."

Lucy looked up at her. "Yeah," she sighed. "But I think it'll take longer than we want to believe." The two women made their way to a table and ordered a little food. Natsu and Gray were on opposite sides of the bar, but Lucy could almost smell the testosterone flying between them. Natsu was just about to open his mouth when the guild door slammed open.

"Where's Wendy?" Laxus boomed out. Everyone turned. In the doorway stood Laxus, holding the fire mage Naomi in his arms, Gajeel stalking in behind them.

There was dead silence. Natsu's already dark expression turned positively stormy, and he got up slowly from his stool.

"What…the hell…are you doing…bringing her here…" he began to walk slowly towards Laxus. "She…hurt…our-"

"Put me down." Interrupted a small voice. Laxus looked down and saw Naomi looking up at him.

"You can barely stand, you need Wendy—"

"I'm fine. Put me down," Laxus paused. "Now." He gently lowered her legs down, but she stood straight and tall.

The guild hall was tense and anxious. Naomi looked around, searching, but looking each member in the eye. Seeming to find who she was looking for, she began slowly but steadily walking towards Erza and Lucy. Natsu stood in her way, his head smoking, but when she looked him in the face, he inexplicably let her pass, his face confused.

Erza watched her make her way towards her with a stiff expression, not knowing what to expect. Lucy was extremely nervous. What was she doing?

Naomi, making it to their table, promptly knelt down in front of Erza. Everyone's eyebrows shot up as she slowly drew out a dagger. For a long time she sat there, never taking her eyes off of Erza, and Erza gazing back. Her long arms went up to her head, and in a few short swipes she had hacked off all of her hair. Tears had begun to fall from her eyes, and she laid the locks at Erza's feet. Getting up slowly, the shorn head turned to the rest of the guild and said,

"There is nothing I can do or say to make this better, so I'll be quick. In all my travels, I have never come across a group of people so closely bonded, so ready to die for each other. Your love is something incredibly beautiful, and I am glad to know that you will be able to heal one another's scars." And she began to walk out the door.

"Naomi," called out an old, raspy voice. She stiffened, and turned to see the master standing at the top of the stairs. "Your words are well received, but you overestimate the power you have over people. You haven't committed any unforgivable sin. You aren't even accountable for your actions. Please consider—"

"Makarov, please stop." Said Naomi quietly. "I can't join you, and I won't accept any favors. Thank you for your kindness." And she turned on her heel and walked out of the hall. Laxus watched her leave, frowning. He clenched his jaw.

Makarov sighed deeply as he clambered down to order a beer. "Poor dear," said Mirajane. "I wish she would just forgive herself."

"She'll be back," said Makarov. "She's got that desperate look in her eye. I don't know how or when, but she'll need a family sooner or later, and I don't get the feeling that she's got one right now."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Naomi strode through Magnolia as quickly and inconspicuously as she could. No one paid any attention to her, but she moved easily through the crowds. Although no one was aware of her, everyone instinctively moved away from the armed woman with the ramrod back and intimidating strides.

Her head was high and stiff, her body powerful, as if the last few hours had never taken its toll. She made it to the woods before her legs gave way. There was no one near, and she had no reason to hold onto the small shreds of pride that had kept her going through the crowded streets. She laid down among some ferns and closed her eyes, praying that no one would find her.

~.~

The next thing Naomi was aware of was a low rushing sound nearby. It was soothing, and she felt safe. But her eyes flew open when a cold, wet tongue licked her nose. She sat up, and immediately collapsed back onto the ground. She had severely underestimated the amount of damage she had sustained. Looking up again, she saw the fox from earlier standing by her side. The corner of her mouth twitched. Determined little guy.

More cautiously this time, she propped herself up onto her elbows and assessed her situation. She was lying on the mossy bank of a river. That was strange. She remembered falling into some ferns. She supposed she could've moved in a half-conscious state. But her weapons and gear were stacked neatly beside her. That wasn't the work of a severely injured wizard. She looked around, trying to find some clue, but her vision became blurry and she lowered herself back down. She thought she faintly heard the rustling of bushes. She hoped it was the wind.

~.~

She tried so hard to figure out why her forehead kept getting wet. She wanted to keep burning, burning in her own misery, but this coolness kept taking it away. It was fresher, cleaner, but she just didn't feel ready. Why couldn't he leave her alone?

~.~

He stalked back through the trees, making as little noise as possible.

~.~

Naomi sat up, startling the little fox. She looked at him with a fondness that hadn't appeared on her face in years.

"You need a name. Does Samson work for you?"

He rolled, exposing his belly, and barked.

"Got it. I'll call you Sam for everyday, and Samson for special occasions."

She stood, taking in her surroundings more than she had been able to before. She was still on a mossy bank next to a river. Her weapons were clean and neat, and the trees were close. Hopefully close enough to hide her for however long she had been unconscious.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to focus. Who had helped her? All she remembered was a flash of yellow, but nothing more. Looking down, she was surprised to see a fire pit a yard or so away. She walked quickly towards it, and knelt down, putting her hand in the ashes. Gauging by the position of the sun, it was about midday, and from the slight amount of heat still emanating from the broken logs, she guessed that the fire had been lit last night and put out sometime in the early morning. So whoever had been watching her could still be somewhere close. She was about to search the area when a wicked headache suddenly came on. She sat down abruptly, her stomach growling. Her whole body ached. Samson came up and rubbed himself against her legs, probably trying to comfort her. A few moments later Naomi heard him pawing at something a few feet to her right. Looking up, she saw some salted meat and a little fruit gathered in a bowl.

Who the hell was helping her? Fairy Tail? She shook her head as ugly memories came to mind. Eat first, think in a minute. Helping herself to what Sam had left behind (which was still plenty), she looked at her weapons, a wave of sadness coming over her. Having eaten and drank a little from the river, she slowly dragged her weapons and armor close to the bank and threw the pieces in, one by one. Had she been a lesser wizard, in her condition she wouldn't have been able to throw them more than a few feet, but her swords, knives, and pauldron flew easily into the middle of the river. Everything sank to the bottom except the katana, which was carried swiftly downstream.

"All gone." She sat down cross-legged, listening to the water going by, listening to Sam's panting, and closed her eyes.

She felt lighter, like a heavy weight had been lifted off. No, it was like breathing fresh air after being stuck in a deep mine. She relished the feeling, and for the first time in a long time, she was glad to be alive.

Her eyes flew open. Why on earth would _he_ help her?

~.~

Laxus walked through the streets of Magnolia in the late afternoon. He had been wandering for some time, thinking hard. He walked slowly, but purposefully, so focused that he never took his eyes off the ground or paid attention to anything around him. He found himself on the bridge and sat down, looking at the water.

He didn't notice the katana floating away in front of him until it was too far to reach. He sat up straighter, recognizing the blade as Naomi's. Why was it down here? He stood up, and quickly moved towards the forest.

~.~

It took him only an hour to reach the river, and just followed it to where he had seen her last. He kept to the trees, careful lest he be seen. There was a strangely nervous feeling that made him hesitant to acknowledge that he had been helping her. Maybe it was pride. He tried not to think about it.

After a few moments, he reached the rough campsite, but didn't see any trace of Naomi. Stepping cautiously out from the trees, he noticed too late the fox that had been staring at him, sitting next to a pile of clothes. Before he could stop himself, and before his brain put the pieces together, Laxus looked up and saw the naked back of Naomi as she washed in the cool water. She turned her head when the fox barked, and froze when she saw him, but not out of embarrassment.

Laxus was no stranger to the sight of a woman's naked body, and he had always taken it for granted in his childish arrogance. But it had been a long time, and he was a very different man. So he found himself inexplicably looking away. Out of respect? He had no idea.

"Laxus Dreyar." It was not a question, merely an acknowledgment.

"Yeah?" He flushed ever so slightly.

"Why?" He heard a movement in the water that meant she had turned to face him. "Why the hell would you do this? I told Makarov, and everyone—"

She suddenly stopped. Laxus had moved his eyes downward so that he was looking at his shoes.

"Why won't you look at me? I'm talking to you!" He gritted his teeth. Did he really have to spell it out? How the fuck could she be so comfortable completely naked, without any weapons, talking to a strange man? There was a pregnant pause, and then:

"Oh. If it really disgusts you that much, I'll do my best to make you more comfortable." Laxus looked up without thinking, about to object, but the words died on his lips.

She was getting out of the water, and was clearly refusing to look at him, probably assuming that he had turned his back. Laxus somehow felt guilty for what he saw: the strong yet soft arms, the smooth line of her back, her whole body steaming as her magic dried her off…

He managed to wrench himself away before he started lingering on _those_ parts of her and really did turn his back to give himself a moment to recover.

"Why?" Naomi's voice demanded. Laxus forced himself to turn and look her in the face. Her lips were drawn thin, and her face was set. She was clearly pissed. He couldn't stop himself from answering in an equally brusque tone.

"You just about tripled your recovery time walking on your own like that. Any self-respecting person would have kept you from getting yourself killed."

"Getting myself killed? What makes you think anything or anyone would have the balls to come near me in the first place?" Laxus raised one eyebrow, looking her dead in the eye. She broke contact first and swore under her breath before speaking again.

"Sorry. How long was I out?"

"About a week." Her brows furrowed together.

"You weren't here the whole…"

"Nah." Laxus said, a little too quickly for his liking. "There're basic barriers put around the area. You were fine on your own." It was Naomi's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Mostly."

"You call yourself a self-respecting person, and yet you can't let a dangerous wizard who took out four of your best friends die in peace. Weird sense of self-respect."

"Why are you trying to come up with reasons why I shouldn't help you, huh?" That took both of them aback.

"I-I guess I never…thought about it that way before." She moved slowly, as if in a dream, towards a log by the remains of the fire. "I hate owing people."

"Trust me, I'll hold you to it." Laxus let himself grin a little, but stopped when she glared up. There was a long pause.

"Sit down." Naomi said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"I said sit down. You're clearly not leaving, so stop standing over me like a hawk." She said with a sigh. Laxus reluctantly obeyed, plopping down on the ground across the fire pit from her. There was another uncomfortable pause.

"I never said thank you."

"Like I said, any idiot would have—"

"No, I mean for before." Laxus looked up at her, surprised to see she had been staring at him. She looked quickly away, and he suddenly became very interested in a beetle scuttling by his boot.

"What was it like?" He asked cautiously. She shuddered. "If you don't wanna talk about it—"

"It's fine. I'll start paying off the debt by telling you." Laxus thought he heard a smile in her voice, but figured it was his imagination. She took a deep breath, then looked up at the sky.

"I discovered my magic after my father died when I was five years old. It was small at first, just little balls of flame and sparks here and there. When I left home I wandered for about a year until a woman named Ilsa took me in." Here Naomi's eyes softened, and she shifted her gaze to the trees in front of her.

"She didn't give me food and send me on my way like everyone else had. She didn't even ask my name. She just grabbed my hand and dragged me to her house where she kept me for a while, almost like a pet. She started calling my Sparky after I accidentally set fire to her brooms. And she taught me things about my magic. I still don't know what her magic was, but she trained me and taught me how to control it, and gradually I grew stronger. I was ten years old when she turned me out. No warning, she just told me to leave. When I asked her why, she said that she had nothing more to teach me. Something told me that that wasn't true, but I didn't understand anything that was happening, so I didn't question it. Now I know that she didn't want to be involved." She stopped a moment, her lips pressing together slightly.

"Involved in what?" asked Laxus.

"The next stage of my magic." She pulled her knees up and hugged them to her chest. "She could have helped me with it, I know it, but she was wise not to. Spared me another year that way.

'After that year of wandering here and there, I found a cave in the middle of a canyon. Someone had just made a pot of soup and I was so hungry, I didn't think. Stupid. I ate the shit and immediately passed out. When I woke up, I was somewhere underground, and bitterly cold. That was the first sign that something was very wrong. I never get cold.

'Someone came in. I couldn't see him, but he didn't seem to have any trouble. I'm still not sure what happened, but he touched me and I became warm again, then started chanting. Really horrible sounding stuff. I realized that I was completely engulfed in flames, and I couldn't stop them. Suddenly I felt like something was being forced down my throat, and I almost died from the pressure and not being able to breathe. I passed out again, and woke up outside the cave."

Naomi's voice became completely monotone now, and Laxus couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Ever since then I haven't been able to control myself. I've been wandering for nine years, and I tried so many times to get rid of him, but I just couldn't. Until you came, of course."

"What do you think happened?" said Laxus, surprising himself. "Sorry…"

"It's fine. I know Porlyusica told you that I'm a fire demon slayer. I think that somehow this being jumpstarted my power, and then possessed me. It's so ironic and stupid. That a demon slayer would end up being possessed by a demon." She was angry now, and Laxus could feel the heat emanating from her.

"Hey, calm down—"

"I'm going to find him and I'm going to destroy him."

"Wait. You mean we didn't kill him back there?"

"No. I'm sure of it. There's no way we got rid of him and killed him at the same time. He's too powerful for that."

Laxus pondered the enormity of what she just said. Both of their magic combined was barely enough to get rid of the bastard, let alone kill him? Hold on…him?

"How do you know it's a man?" Naomi looked up at him quickly, and began to shake. She maintained eye contact, but her voice broke as she said:

"He…we…I couldn't stop him…"

"Oh." They looked at each other for a long time before he said, "I'm so sorry. That fucker will pay." He started to move toward her, but stopped himself and again surprised himself by asking, "Is it all right if I sit next to you?" What was going on with him?

"Yeah. I guess so." And, very slowly, he walked over and sat next to her on the log.

"Something's been bothering me about what you said earlier."

"You mean about him—"

"No, from when I first got here." Laxus took a breath before he continued. "I wasn't disgusted by you. At all." Naomi looked at him in shock. "I just wasn't…prepared, that's all."

"Why would you need to be prepared?" What was with this girl? Did she have any sense of boundaries?

"I don't know…it's just been a while since…" He found himself looking at her again, and she looked away quickly.

"I'm sorry. I don't really know about these things."

Suddenly a scream echoed through the forest. Both of them stood up.

"Did that sound like—"

"Lucy!" And as one, they sprinted towards the sound.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Lucy was furious with herself. What on earth was she doing? She had told herself she wasn't technically disobeying Master, she wasn't going to attack Naomi, she just wanted to talk.

Of course, now she had run into a band of mercenary wizards who were giving her more trouble than she had bargained for, and of course one of them had a big-ass club that could stretch out and smack her every which way. Typical.

She scrambled up and yelled, "Open, gate of the Lion!"

"Already on it, gorgeous." She looked over and rolled her eyes, smiling.

"You mind helping me out?" She drew out her whip and got into a fighting stance.

"No problem. Maybe you'll let me sweep you away when all this is over." Loke smirked as he charged and together he and his mistress wiped the bastards away. He turned to her and asked, "You still gonna go through with this?"

Lucy flicked away a bead of sweat on her forehead. "No. It was a stupid idea in the first place." She suddenly froze, staring past Loke's shoulder.

"What's up, are there more of—oh."

Naomi and Laxus had stepped out of the trees, looking strangely concerned. Lucy was so taken aback that she had to take a few moments to recover. She had so many questions. First of all, why was Laxus with her? Why did it seem like they knew each other pretty well? Why was Naomi here in the first place?! All she got out was:

"What're you—why did—how—?"

"We just heard a scream and came to check it out. But you've got it covered, so I'll be on my way." Naomi said shortly, and turned to walk back through the trees.

"Wait. Thank you." She turned around to face Lucy, who was looking strangely at her. "For caring, I guess." Lucy looked confused. Naomi nodded hesitantly, then began walking.

Laxus began to follow her, but Naomi stopped him, saying,

"Go back home. Go with Lucy, make sure she doesn't get into more trouble."

"And if you get in trouble?" She turned and looked at him with one eyebrow raised and her first smile curved at the corners of her soft lips.

"I won't scream unless I'm in real danger. Which would take more than a group of bandits." Walking off once more, she couldn't stop herself from saying, "Take care, Laxus Dreyar."

Laxus watched her go with confusion and a hint of frustration. Did she expect him to drop her when she was still recovering? Like hell he would.

"Hey! What does she mean by 'unless she's in real danger'? That was really dangerous right here, thank you very much!" Lucy said indignantly. Laxus gave a tiny sigh, and turned, rolling his eyes.

"Come, on princess."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Lucy was trying to keep up a conversation. At first she had asked accusing questions about why he was with Naomi, what they had been doing, what he was thinking. But after a few grunted replies that said absolutely nothing she gave up, and they walked in silence.

Lucy may have felt awkward, but Laxus was deep in thought and had no room for the little girl's yammering. He himself wasn't sure what he was thinking about. Things were moving too fast in his brain, and it wasn't until the two of them reached the guild hall that they organized themselves into one thought.

"Fuck."

The whole guild hall was staring suspiciously at them. The old man was walking towards them menacingly, and it wasn't until Laxus noticed Lucy shaking like a leaf next to him that he realized none of it was directed at him. Makarov did not speak until he was two feet away from the young girl, and he was shaking with fury.

"What did I tell you?"

"You said that we couldn't—" Lucy began

"Don't interrupt, idiot! I said that you absolutely could not go after her! I can't believe you would go out on your own. I am extremely disappointed in you."

Lucy hung her head.

"I'm sure if Laxus hadn't been there you would've been burned to a crisp by now."

Lucy looked up frowning. "That's not how—"

"Yeah. She sure was a pain in the ass." Laxus glared at her, and Lucy understood that she would be murdered in her sleep if she told the truth. Makarov looked frowningly satisfied, and turned back to the bar. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, but was stopped short when the old geezer called out.

"Toilet duty. One month."

"Hah! Ha ha ha!" Natsu burst out laughing. Lucy smiled as she realized it was the first time he'd laughed since they had been beaten to a pulp.

"It's not funny! I know I deserve it, but if you keep laughing I'll stick your head in the toilet and use it to scrub down!" She ran after him, and Laxus very nearly smiled. Stupid kids.

He walked to the bar and ordered a mug of ale. He felt drained, and slumped on his stool.

"So that's the honest-to-God truth, huh?" Said a gravelly voice to his right.

"Gajeel. What's it to do with you?"

"If it concerns that woman, it concerns the guild, and that means it concerns me."

"It's like Lucy said—"

"Bullshit. She didn't say squat. The old man put words in her mouth, and you agreed like the asshole you are." Gajeel grinned as Laxus squirmed ever so slightly. "The truth. Now."

"No."

"I figured. Good thing I already know." Laxus looked up.

"What?"

"You been going to see her, haven't ya? Been her little nurse for a couple weeks now I bet. Now that's something I'd like to see."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"I have eyes and a brain, dumbass. It's not like you're the only one in the forest. I've seen the little fires you made. Just shy of seeing you wiping her forehead with a washcloth, ya pansy." Laxus blushed. "Oh, Mavis. You did wipe her forehead didn't you? Ha!"

Gajeel roared with laughter. Guild members were starting to look in their direction, so Laxus hissed, "Shut. The fuck. Up. Or do you want me to start shouting about your _everything_." That shut the idiot's trap so fast it looked like he had his jaw wired shut. He glared venomously.

"I'll kill ya."

"I know. Shake hands on it?" Gajeel smirked.

"Deal. Ya dirty bastard." The two wizards shook hands with as much force as they could muster, and Laxus drained his beer as he got up to leave. "Make sure she pays you back." Laxus whipped around as Gajeel wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'm going home, dirt-for-brains."

"Sure, get your beauty rest. I bet you're gonna need it."

Laxus contemplated if he could get a right hook in before Gajeel could block properly, but thought better of it. He simply growled and stalked out of the guild hall. Gajeel couldn't stop himself from grinning. Not that he tried.

"He'll bring her to the guild quick enough."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Natsu and Lucy returned to the guild hall after a frantic chase around the library, Natsu smirking as Lucy huffed and puffed behind him. Happy, who had watched the whole thing with obvious enjoyment, flew onto Natsu's shoulder as the two collapsed at a table where Erza, Gray, and Juvia all sat. Suddenly, Natsu's smile melted away as he turned sharply at Lucy.

"Okay, what the hell?" Gray and Erza looked at her with expressions that plainly asked the same question. She quickly shook her head and put her hands up to defend herself.

"I swear it's not what it looks like…"

"What it looks like is that you left the guild alone and returned with Laxus who apparently saved you from Naomi. How different could the truth be?" Asked Erza sternly.

"If anybody had been paying attention, they would have noticed that I didn't get to say two words about what happened!" Lucy replied, obviously stung. Grey rolled his eyes.

"So what's the _real_ story, huh?" he drawled out.

"I just wanted to talk." Said Lucy, looking apologetically at Natsu. "She just seemed so…sad when she came to the guild. I just wanted to see if I could get to know her. I know it was stupid, I know I shouldn't have done it. I thought she might have needed someone to talk to." She finished lamely.

"You have always been too kind for your own good." Looking up, she saw that Erza was smiling at her, albeit a little condescendingly.

"Thanks?"

"But what happened in the woods? I get why, but what the hell happened?!" Natsu demanded. Lucy growled a little in frustration.

"Be patient, Natsu! I had gotten a few miles into the forest when I ran into some bandits who were giving me a little trouble." Natsu almost burst in here, but Lucy silenced him with a deadly glare. "I was doing fine, when all of a sudden Laxus and Naomi burst through the bushes! I had taken care of the bandits by then—yes, I did Natsu, don't you dare—and the two of them were evidently just as surprised as you are that I could take care of myself. Eventually she told Laxus to take me back here (as if I needed help!) and went back into the forest."

Gray immediately jumped in. "And why was Laxus with her?" Erza nodded.

"That's what I want to know."

"Juvia wants to know too—"

"You think I didn't ask? He wouldn't speak a word to me on the way back, just grunted a lot like the jerk he is. All I could tell is that they seemed fairly used to talking to each other." Lucy shrugged and called Mirajane over, asking for some water. Natsu frowned.

"Why would Laxus get all chummy with _her_?" Erza nodded.

"Clearly something is going on. If you remember, it was Laxus who brought her to the guild in the first place. We were all too shocked to notice at the time, but she did seem injured."

Juvia finally spoke up. "Perhaps Laxus helped her with whatever Porlyusicaa said was troubling Naomi. And maybe he felt he had to continue helping her. I don't know Laxus at all, but could that be possible?"

Natsu burst out laughing, and the rest of the team were coughing into their drinks. "Laxus? Taking care of anyone? He's an asshole, plain and simple. There's no way."

"He does care deeply for the guild." Said Erza, recovering herself. "But I have trouble believing he would pay that much attention to someone outside of his family." Grey snorted.

"Well, something's going on, and I'm not about to sit around here much longer. I'm gonna find out what he's up to." Lucy put her hand up.

"But…maybe this is something we should leave alone. They probably have it figured out, and it's not really our business…" she trailed off as her teammates stood up, clearly preparing to leave.

"I'm surprised at you, Lucy. Naomi may not be under the same influences as before, but she attacked us and she could be ensnaring one of our strongest mages. It is our business." Erza said, her face stern once more.

"Still, I think _ensnaring_ 's probably an overstatement. Also, didn't I just get my ass kicked for going after her? Master's order still stands." Lucy objected.

"I'll take care of it!" Natsu said brightly, walking over to the job board. He immediately picked one up. "Mira! We're taking this one!" Mirajane looked up, nodded, and made a note.

"Since it's in the opposite direction of the forest, I'll let you take it." Natsu turned, grinning as he led the others out the door. Juvia went to follow, but sadly stayed behind as she realized Gray wasn't looking back. He was busy talking quietly with Natsu.

"The opposite direction, huh? And are we actually planning to do the job?" He smirked.

"The job? Of course no—of course we are!" Natsu changed tack when he saw Erza and Lucy's faces.

"We'll do the job first, and then skirt the city and search the forest." Said Erza, who clearly would not take no for an answer.

"And what is this job exactly?" Asked Lucy. "And how much does it pay?" Natsu looked back and laughed.

"Is that all you care about? 10,000 jewels for dealing with some weird shit in a village. How hard can it be?"


End file.
